By Emma Wood, Staff Writer

May 1, 2024

ROCKLAND- There will be a new program available to seniors in the 2024-2025 school year called Innovation Pathways. 

Innovation Pathways gives students the opportunity to experiment with a job or something they are passionate about. 

History Department Chair Mr. Rich MacAllister said, “Innovation Pathways allows students in Rockland High School to be able to choose a career path and pick and choose their classes at Rockland High School so they can best pursue that path after high school.”

This class program gives students the experience in the workforce that they will need in the future.

Mr. MacAllister continued, “One of the unique things about Rockland High School is that we set you up with a company your senior year with hands-on experience, so when you do go to a 2 or 4-year college or the workforce you will have all the experience that you need.”

Business teacher Mr. Jared Lordi teaches a few classes that are involved in Innovation Pathways. 

He said, “I would say that all of my classes are involved, as one of the branches of Innovation Pathways is business. So my entrepreneurship and intro to marketing are also intimately related in Innovation Pathways.”  

Innovation Pathways is a program that will be very beneficial to students. 

Lordi said, “I think Innovation Pathways is a good movement, a good idea for a lot of students to partake in because if they follow the curriculum of innovation pathways they can figure out if that is something they want to do in the future. They can pursue in college, assuming that they completed innovation pathways which is an awesome resume builder to put on their college application.” 

The exciting thing about Innovation Pathways is that it allows students to work with local businesses that prepare the seniors for what they want to accomplish. 

This program helps students decide if they are still interested in what they tried in Innovation Pathways. To add on, it also prepares students for college or the workforce. 

Mr. MacAllister said, “Rockland got involved with this program because the state reaches out to different communities and says if you have students who are interested in one of the pathways you can apply for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s approval. Rockland had to develop the infrastructure to allow our students to take particular classes, and then the opportunity to create relationships with local businesses to allow for those internships to take place.” 

There are many ways for students to get involved in this program.

Mr. MacAllister said, “If a student is interested they can contact me, Mr. MacAllister or they can contact Guidance Director Ms. Margaret Black. From there students would choose a pathway, there are two pathways we offer right now, business and finance, or you can take technology, engineering, and manufacturing.”

Innovation Pathways is also an awesome resume builder for students for their future careers.